Chapter 6
Amie
couldn’t believe I was sitting in the truck of an Alpha I hardly knew,I heading towards an unknown pack. I must be losing my mind to have accepted his crazy offer. He must have been even more insane to make the offer in the first place. What Alpha offered someone without a wolf a place in their pack? An insane one, that’s who. And I, as the idiot that I am, then agreed to get into a truck with said insane Alpha. I had suggested I could take my car. That way I could drive myself back if, no, when I turned his offer down. But Finlay had insisted it made more sense to drive together.
That way, we could keep getting to know each other.
“If your pack has only been around for two years, you haven’t ranked yet?” I asked.
“No. We didn’t leave our old pack until just about two years after the
latest games,” he told me.
“That sucks,” I said.
“It does,” he agreed. There was a pause in the conversation where I watched the forest outside the window roll by. “Since I have got you to come with me and you don’t really have a choice, maybe I should tell you about our history. It’s bound to come up, so it’s better you are prepared,”
Finlay told me in a cheery voice. I tensed up. That didn’t sound ominous at
all.
“Sure,” I agreed.
“Have you heard of the Ocean shore pack?” he asked and I snorted.
“Have I heard of the pack that has ranked in the top three for the last hundred years? Yes, I have,” I told him. He gave me a little smile, but it wasn’t his usual relaxed one.
“Alpha Johannes was my father,” Finlay said, and I was in shock. One of the most powerful Alphas in modern times was Finlay’s father? He had belonged to the Ocean shore pack and left? My curiosity peaked. “My father was a great and powerful Alpha. But he had a cruel streak, something he knew and kept at bay. He only let it out when he was dealing with rogues or in times of war,” he explained. I nodded. It wasn’t unusual for Alphas and Betas to have more flexible morality. “He passed away a little over two years ago. It was a rogue attack that ended badly. He was injured while rescuing some pups gone astray.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. It didn’t feel like enough, but I had nothing else to offer.
“Thank you. It was a hard time. My brother, Ryder, became the new Alpha as he was the oldest. I didn’t mind, I had always known that would be the case. Ryder had the same cruel streak as my father, but he didn’t control it like my father did. Instead, he let it take over. I didn’t want to see it at first, but in the end I couldn’t turn a blind eye. My instinct was to challenge him for the role of Alpha. But my mother had just lost her mate, and didn’t want to see one of her sons killing the other. I had to obey my mother’s wishes, so I asked the council for permission to form my own pack. It was granted and when I told my brother, he lost his temper. He declared me a traitor of the pack and forbade me from entering the pack land again. Before I left, I offered every pack member the chance to join me. Almost half of the pack left with me,” he told me.
“I’m impressed. That took a lot of courage,” I said. I got one of his genuine smiles in return.
“I don’t know about that. If I would have known what I was getting myself into, maybe I wouldn’t have even thought about doing it. Do you know how much paperwork there is when running a pack? I mean, there are droves of it,” he joked. I laughed as I understood the need not to linger on subjects that left you exposed for too long.
“Not as much fun as you had thought?”
“Not even a little. And then there is the constant need to listen to the pack’s concerns. ‘Alpha, his apartment in the pack house is two square inches bigger than mine’, ‘Alpha, why doesn’t he love me?’, ‘Alpha, why is
the sun brighter than the moon?’. I tell you, there is an endless stream of questions and opinions,” he told me. I laughed as I could tell he didn’t hate it half as much as he let on.
“Has the pack been able to settle down?” I asked.
“Yes, we pooled our resources and could buy a good amount of land. It took some time to get the houses built and to establish a good relationship with the local authorities. But now we are finally seeing the rewards of the hard work,” he said.
“And do they know you are bringing a stray home?” He laughed at my question.
“I told my Beta, Martin, and my Gamma, Sam. I asked them to inform the pack we will have a guest to stay. If I know my pack, they will all be excited about the prospect of getting to know you,” he said. “How do you feel about it?”
“To be honest, I’m nervous. It’s been a long while since I've been in a pack,” I admitted.
“Don’t worry, it will be like riding a bike. I can tell you have a good, solid upbringing on how to be a wolf. I wouldn’t have brought you back if I thought you wouldn’t be a good fit,” he told me. I nodded.
We continued to drive for miles until the afternoon. The mountains that had been a backdrop in the town I lived in, were now right in front of us and the thick forests spread out like a carpet all around them. Finlay turned off from the main road and we headed out into the forest. After a mile or so a checkpoint appeared, the man and woman manning it greeted the truck and let it pass.
“Welcome to Blue Mountain pack,” Finlay said.
“Thank you,” I responded. I hadn’t expected to feel anything when we drove onto the pack land. It wasn’t my pack. I had no connections to this land. But there was a slight vibration running through me. A faint reminder of how it felt to drive on to the pack land back home.
“This is us. Most of the pack live in, or close to the village,” Finlay told me as I saw the trees thin and open up in a large clearing. In the clearing, there was a village. The focal point was a large timber house, three stories tall, and in front of it was a square opening where people moved back and forth. There looked to be one main road leading through the village, it was lined with shops. The rest of the village was made up of different types of small houses, all of them with gardens. Running behind the pack house and
along that side of the village was a creek. It looked idyllic. “That’s the pack house, if you didn’t already guess it. Most of the single wolves of age live in the pack house. We provide a small apartment to all pack members who need it, free of charge. The first two months the food is included, then we expect members to either buy their food and cook for themselves, or contribute their part to the communal food budget,” Finlay explained.
“That’s generous of you,” I told him. He shrugged as he drove to the parking lot next to the pack house.
“It gives pack members a chance to save up to build a house of their own.
It’s a good thing for the pack.” We got out of the truck and at once there were happy greetings being called out towards Finlay. He smiled and returned them and waved at some. “Grab your bag and follow me. There should be a guest room made up for you. I just need to find my Beta to know which one,” he told me. I nodded and grabbed the bag I had packed last night and followed him. Curious eyes were following me as I walked next to Finlay, but I felt no hostility.
“Alpha, welcome back,” a deep voice called.
“Martin, just the man I’m looking for. I see you haven’t managed to burn the place to the ground when I was away,” Finlay laughed.
“I’m twice the Alpha you are, Alpha,” Martin laughed and then he looked at me.
“Martin, this is Amie, the guest I was telling you about. Amie, this is Martin, the pack’s Beta,” Finlay introduced us.
“Beta,” I said and bent my head how it was expected when greeting someone of higher rank. It was pure muscle memory.
“Nice to meet you, Amie. Hey, man, I thought you said she was a lone wolf,” Martin said.
“Even us lone wolves can have manners,” I said. Martin looked at me with surprise and then he laughed.
“I think I like you, Amie. I had the guest room on the second floor overlooking the creek made up,” he said.
“Thanks, man. I’ll just get Amie settled and then I’ll come find you,”
Finlay said. He took me up to a homey room. It smelled clean and had an airy feel to it, with white and beige decor and large windows letting the sunlight in. “I’m sorry to just leave you. But I need to check in with Martin and Sam,” he apologised to me.
“It’s okay. I could do with a moment to freshen up and get used to the feeling of being surrounded by wolves again,” I told him. It was true. Even though I didn’t belong to this pack and therefore didn’t have the pack bond, I could still feel the faint buzzing of the pack’s connection to each other and the pack land. The once familiar feeling now felt uncomfortable and highly noticeable.
“You have your own bathroom through that door. I’ll be back as soon as I can and show you around. It shouldn’t be more than thirty minutes,” Finlay told me.
“It’s fine, take your time,” I told him. With a final look and a nod, he left me alone in the room and I sank down on the bed and let out a breath and relaxed. I couldn’t believe I was in a pack house again. I had told myself I should stay away from the werewolf community. But something about Finlay had made me give in. Maybe I finally had met someone as stubborn as myself. I reminded myself this was just a way to make him leave me alone. I would stay for a few days, then turn his offer down and continue living my own life. In the little town where no one knew who or what I was and that was how I wanted it. Right? I got up and made my way into the bathroom. A hot shower would be nice after the long ride, and it couldn’t hurt to look at least a little presentable when meeting the pack. Not that I wanted to impress anyone, it was just ingrained into me since childhood that when meeting a new pack, you showed the best version of yourself. It was about politeness. At least that is what I told myself as I was getting ready. I had enough time to shower and get dressed. Then I watched the amazing view of the creek with the wildflowers growing along it. I sat by the large windows for ten minutes before there was a knock on the door. I opened it and let Finlay in.
“Ready to check out the pack land and say hi to some pack members?” he asked.
“Sure, that’s why I’m here,” I told him.
“Do you mind if Martin and Sam join us? They are curious about you and it’s rare we get new wolves,” he said.
“No, that’s fine by me,” I told him and did my best to mask my nerves. It was uncomfortable to be around strange wolves, and I wondered how much Finlay had told them about me. Did they all know that I had no wolf? I followed Finlay downstairs, where Martin waited with another man. This new wolf had hair almost as red as my own. He was pale with freckles and
had a look more suited for a rascal than a Gamma. I was introduced to him and I had guessed correctly, he was the pack’s Gamma.
“Finlay, someone else with red hair!” he happily exclaimed. “Medow, my mate will love you,” he added. I couldn’t help but laugh and I decided I liked Gamma Sam from the start. The three men took me on a short tour around the pack house. Making sure I knew where the important things were. Then they took me outside and started introducing me to other wolves. All while joking and taking puns out of each other. I found myself relaxing in their company and it made me remember growing up and the friend group I had belonged to. Until one of them broke my heart. I unconsciously rubbed my chest, like I always did when thinking of James.
The pain wasn’t as sharp as it had been. But I would have hoped it would have gone away by now. Maybe the moon goddess would be kind enough to give me a second chance mate. But it didn’t look like that was in my cards.
“Are you okay?” Finlay asked. He looked worried.
“I’m fine,” I told him and let my smile slip into place. I was used to hiding the hurt by now. It was my second nature. He looked at me a little longer and then nodded. We had walked through the centre of the village.
Everything looked well kept and the pack felt happy and content. As far as I could see, this was a good pack. It had the same vibe as I picked up from Finlay. Relaxed, caring and strong. It showed how much influence an Alpha had on his pack.
“I suggest we head for the communal kitchen and end our tour with a pack dinner,” Finlay suggested.
“Yes please. Medow has kitchen duty and I have been away from her for too long,” Sam exclaimed.
“Newly mated wolves,” his two friends said as one and rolled their eyes. I had to laugh. In the kitchen, we found a small woman with brown hair in a pixie cut that made her look adorable.
“Medow, honey,” Sam called out. The woman turned around and gave him a brilliant smile.
“Babe!” she called and gave him a wave before returning to cooking.
“Come, I’ll introduce you,” Sam told me and took my hand to tow me through the kitchen.
“Honey, Finlay brought a guest home with him. She is thinking of joining the pack,” Sam said as we walked up behind his mate. Medow twirled
around and her mouth fell open as she stared at us.
“The two of you could be twins,” she said with a smile. “Hello, I’m Medow,” she added and held out her hand towards me. I shook it and introduced myself. “So the boys have been showing you around?” she then
asked.
“Yes.”
“Poor thing, you must be in need of some decent company. You can leave her with me, babe. I’ll take it from here,” she told her mate.
“But, honey, the Alpha wanted her to eat with us,” Sam tried to object.
“Do you think I will hog tie our guest in the walk-in freezer? Of course she will eat with us. But the food won’t be ready for at least thirty minutes.
So scoot, go do something useful and I’ll take care of Amie.”
“Is it okay with you?” Sam asked. I could see he wanted to please his mate, but at the same time obey his Alpha and respect me as a guest. Poor thing didn’t know what to do.
“I think it sounds like an amazing idea,” I told him. He relaxed and smiled at his mate. They kissed, two times, and then Medow shooed him away.
“He is sweet and I love him to death. But he is a tad bit clingy,” she confided in me. I laughed.
“Tell me a mated wolf that isn’t when it comes to his mate,” I joked and felt the pang in my chest. Medow laughed with me.
“Come, I’ll introduce you to the matriarch of the pack. We don’t have a Luna, since Finlay isn’t mated, but his aunt is the one female everyone looks up to. She’ll like you,” Medow told me and we walked deeper into the kitchen. “Matilda,” Medow called out. An older woman appeared from a door and smiled at us. There was a likeness to her nephew. They had the
same kind eyes.
“Yes?” Matilda asked and looked at me.
“This is Amie, she is a guest of Finlay,” Medow introduced me.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Matilda. Finlay is my sister’s son,” the woman said, and we shook hands. “Is my nephew trying to recruit you to the pack?” she then asked. I was a little taken aback by her straightforwardness,
but I liked it.
“He is,” I told her.
“Well then. Let’s get to know each other. Can you cook?” I smiled at her.
As the Beta’s daughter, I had been expected to help out with all the different
communal tasks in the pack before I left. I may not be a master chef, but I
did manage to cook good, edible food.
“I can,” I therefore said.
“Excellent.” She pointed to a workstation filled with vegetables that would become a garden salad. I nodded and picked up the knife and started working. Medow started mixing ingredients for a dressing and Matilda was frying patties as we all talked and got to know each other. Half an hour later, the food was done, and the kitchen was filled with pack members helping to carry the food to the tables. Medow and Matilda guided me to a table where Finlay, Sam and Martin sat. We joined them and Finlay smiled at me.
“I hope my aunt didn’t push you too hard?” he asked. Both Matilda and I snorted at the same time, which made Medow laugh.
“Please, I don’t overwork guests,” Matilda objected.
“I’m not as fragile as I seem,” I objected.
“Amie was kind enough to help while we got to know each other,”
Matilda told him.
“It was nice and relaxing,” I said.
“I stand corrected. I’m happy to hear it went well,” Finlay told us. Dinner was great. It had been a while since I sat down and ate with a pack. I forgot how nice it was not having to eat alone. It wasn’t like I always ate alone in the town either. Sometimes I invited CeCe over, or we sat down and ate at the diner. But it wasn’t the same. After dinner, the group took me to the game room. We played pool, and it was just a lot of fun. After I tried to hide my second yawn, Finlay offered to escort me back to my room. I said good night to everyone, and we left.
“It looks like you are having a good time,” Finlay pointed out as we were walking.
“I am. It has been nice to be amongst a pack again,” I confessed. He
smiled again.
“Told you.”
“Fine, you might have been right,” I admitted. “It doesn’t change who I am.”
“It doesn’t,” he agreed. “But I don’t see why it would matter. You like it here, the pack likes you. When Aunt Matilda likes someone, I know they are a good person. She never holds back if she thinks someone isn’t good enough for the pack. And she has high standards,” he told me.
“That’s sweet of her. I like her too. I just don’t know.”
“No need to make a decision tonight. It’s been a long day with a lot of new things. All I ask is that you keep your mind open and let the pack get to know you. Tomorrow is the full moon celebration. You and I can have a talk the day after that and figure out what you will do,” he told me.
“I can do that,” I said as we got to my room.
“Good. Sleep tight and I will see you for breakfast. Should I come and
get you?” he asked.
“No. I can find my way. Eight o’clock?”
“That’s right. See you then. Good night.”
“Good night, Finlay.” I walked into my room and got ready for bed. Even though I was tired, my mind wasn’t ready to go to sleep. I sat down in the chair by the window and looked out over the creek. The moon hung over the treetops and made the water glisten. It was a beautiful view. I thought about the day, how nice it had been to be surrounded by a pack again. Even if it wasn’t my pack. There were a lot of things I missed about being in one.
I just never let myself think about it. It would be too painful. But now, I had to think about it. And truth be told. I had seventeen years and three hundred and sixty-four days of mostly good memories of being in a pack. And one day of bad memories, of feeling out of place and as a burden. Why had I let that one day taint all the others? I knew the answer. Because that one day had shown me the rest had been a lie to some extent. The pack had promised I was loved, safe and would have a place with them as long as I contributed to the pack and didn’t break any of the rules. But in one swoop, all of that had proved to be untrue. I had been threatened to be shipped off to another pack. Pack members that were as close to me as my family had turned their back to me. All because I wasn’t like them. It had made me see my time in the pack as a deceit and I was too fragile to go through it all again. I was barely over the first betrayal. Did I have it in me to put the pieces back together if it happened again? But this time it was different, I told myself. This time Finlay would know what I was, that I wasn’t strong.
If the pack accepted me, they would do so while knowing everything. No, not everything. I had kept things back from Finlay. Because when we had our talk by the lake, I never thought I would seriously consider his offer. If I were to consider his offer, I needed to tell him everything. There would be no mate to reject me in this pack. If I was accepted here for who I was, then I could stay. The thought of belonging to a pack again made my head spin. I
hadn’t known how strongly I wanted it. How much I needed the pack bond and to be part of something bigger. I decided I would ask to talk to Finlay the next day and if he didn’t turn me away for being less than completely honest. I would seriously consider becoming a part of this pack.
As I walked down to breakfast the following morning, a couple of pack members recognised me and greeted me. It felt nice. Some of them even introduced me to others. When I reached the table where Martin and Finlay sat, I had gained a shadow in the form of a six-year-old pup named Cadence.
“Good morning,” I said as I took a seat at the table.
“Morning,” they both greeted me.
“Hello there, Cadence,” Finlay said.
“Hi, Alpha,” the boy said with a smile.
“Do you want to join us?” I asked. Cadence looked like he wanted to say yes, but then he looked at Finlay and then back towards his parents.
“No thank you, I need to eat with my family. Maybe you can join us some day?” he asked.
“Maybe,” I said. He waved and ran back to sit next to his mother.
“Gathering fans already?” Finlay asked. I laughed. We were soon joined by Matilda. Sam and Medow were the last to sit down. The conversation was just as nice as the day before. While Finlay, Martin and Sam discussed pack business, Medow and Matilda shared all the things they thought I needed to know about who was dating who in the pack and other gossip. As we had eaten and were getting ready to get up, I found the courage to ask Finlay if he had time during the day for a talk. He looked at me for a moment and nodded.
“How about a walk and I can show you where the celebrations will take place while we talk?” he asked. I nodded, and we said goodbye to the rest of the group. Finlay took me along a gravelled path that led into the forest.
Even though it was early, pack members were walking back and forth on the path, carrying things. Everyone was getting ready for the full moon.
“This is where we celebrate most of our big events,” Finlay told me. We had reached a big clearing. On one side of it, the creek ran. In the middle there was a large fire pit and around it there were logs and wooden benches
to sit on. Pack members were setting up foldable tables at one end of the clearing and others were chopping wood and piling it by the firepit. “Let’s go this way, it’s less busy,” he told me and I followed him along a dirt track into the forest. When we had left everyone behind us, I took a deep breath and savoured the forest scents.
“I haven’t been completely honest with you,” I started.
“No?”
“No. I didn’t think it would matter, because I never thought I would accept your offer.”
“But that has changed?” he asked, trying to hide a smile.
“Maybe. I won’t know unless I tell you everything,” I said. We had come to a viewpoint. We were standing on a piece of raised land, looking out over a slope that led down to a river. On the other side there was more rich forest and then the mountain. It was a beautiful spot. “The reason I left my old pack was not only because of my latency,” I told him. He was quiet, but when I glanced his way, I saw all his attention was on me. “I was the daughter of the Beta. I grew up with the son of the Alpha, the daughter of the Gamma and my older brother. We were as close as you can get. We were the future of the pack. The Alpha and Gamma were like my uncles. I grew up knowing they would protect me, just like my father would. When my wolf didn’t come to me, they all assured me it didn’t matter, that I was good enough as I was. And I mostly believed them.” I paused and took a deep breath. We were heading into painful territory and I needed to brace myself. “I turned eighteen the day after a full moon. The pack was gathered to celebrate the moon and my mother and the Luna brought out a surprise birthday cake for me at the stroke of midnight. And I found my mate, the son of the Alpha, James.” His name came out as a whisper. I hadn’t spoken it out loud in four years and it twisted the dagger in my heart.
“You found your mate?” I looked up at Finlay and I could see he hadn’t meant the question to be spoken out loud.
“I did, and in the next heartbeat he was rejecting me. I wasn’t strong enough to be his Luna,” I said, and I could hear the bitter notes in my voice.
Finlay drew in a sharp breath and looked at me like he had a hard time believing me. “After that, things changed. I overheard my father talk to the Alpha. The man that had been like a second father to me, told my father it would be best if I was sent away from the pack. To spare both me and his son the pain when James would choose a new mate. I heard my mother and
the Luna being at odds with each other and how much hurt was in my brother’s voice. The pack that I thought would always have my back, that would protect me, turned their back on me. My parents and brother were paying the price.”
“So you left,” he said in a soft voice. I had been looking at the river, but now I turned to face him.
“I did. To protect myself and my family. They could heal once I was gone, and hopefully save their relationship with their pack and friends.”
“Do you keep in contact with them?”
“No. My father would come for me if he knew where I was. I send them birthday cards every year. But I drive to another state to send them. Hiding my tracks as best I can.” I had never told anyone this before.
“I’m sorry,” he said. I shrugged, as if it wasn’t a big deal. But it was. A single tear rolled down my cheek and I rubbed it away. “I have no words for how your mate treated you. You are not weak, Amie. You survived a rejection from your true mate, you survived leaving your pack and you built a life for yourself. You are strong. And if he couldn’t see it, then he is a fool and his pack will be weaker because of it. If you join my pack, we will be there when you need us. We have been through what you have. We chose to leave our old pack to seek a better life. This pack has a strong bond, we care for our own and physical strength isn’t the measurement we use to value a pack member. I was right when I felt like you would be a good fit for us. If you have been raised in a Beta household, you must have learnt things.
None of the top ranks, including me, have had formal training for our roles.
We could use someone like you. But I won’t make you choose now. Let’s stick to the plan to take the day as it comes and we’ll have another talk tomorrow. Okay?” I looked up at Finlay.
“You’re not going to ask me to leave?” I asked. He chuckled.
“Because you didn't tell me everything? You had known me for less than thirty minutes. I don’t expect that kind of loyalty. I’m honoured that you shared it with me now,” he told me. I nodded.
“Then I would like to stick to the plan,” I said.
“I’m happy to hear it, Amie.”
“Armeria,” I said, and it sounded foreign. He looked at me. “It’s my full name.” He smiled and nodded.
“Armeria,” he said, and it sounded nice coming from him. “Matilda has been insisting she get to show you around today. Is that okay?” he asked.
“It is. I like her,” I told him as we turned around to head back.
“She can be intimidating, but she is an amazing wolf. We are lucky that she joined us,” he said.
Hours later, we were all sitting by a roaring fire. Pups were running around playing and elderly wolves were telling tales about past glory. It amused me how much it was the same as it had been in my former pack. I fell back into my old habits as I helped hand out blankets to those that needed, and I offered to look after the pups when everyone was going to shift. Matilda frowned at me.
“Why aren’t you joining in the fun?” she asked. I realised no one had told them about me.
“I’m latent,” I said. Matilda burst out laughing, the last response I had expected. Then she stopped and looked at me.
“You are serious?” she asked.
“Aunt, careful,” Finlay said as a warning. She waved him off.
“I am,” I said.
“Dear, why on earth would you think that? I can feel your wolf,” she asked.
“I think you are feeling my nature, not my wolf. I’m twenty-two and my wolf has yet to show herself. If I have a wolf, she is probably too weak to break through,” I said.
“Now, this is just nonsense. Why would you have a weak wolf?”
“Everyone knows that a strong wolf will come to you early. I’m almost at the point when all hope is lost.” I didn’t expect to have to defend why I had a weak wolf.
“Most strong wolves tend to come early,” she agreed. “But there are strong wolves that bide their time. No one knows why. Maybe they are waiting on something or maybe the conditions aren’t right. I have spent the day with you, Amie. There is nothing weak about you. Not in your person, not in your wolf. Mark my word, it will come,” Matilda said with confidence.
“That is enough, aunt,” Finlay said. He looked at me with worry. I understood he didn’t want to give me false hope, and I appreciated it. It had been hard to accept my fate and there wasn’t room for false hope.
“Very well,” she said with a nod. The topic was changed but during the next hour or so, many of the parents accepted my offer to watch over the pups. Cadence was thrilled. I promised him I would tell him some of the old stories my mother had told me when I was little and we could have snacks while we waited for the rest of the pack to return. It wasn’t long before Finlay stood up. The surrounding conversations stopped.
“It’s the full moon. Let’s head for the forest and run,” Finlay said and there were cheering and people started walking into the forest. “Will you be okay?” he asked me.
“Of course she will be,” Matilda huffed. “I’ll keep her company and help her keep an eye on the savages,” she added. Finlay looked at me and I gave him a smile and a nod. He headed for the forest, but stopped at the edge to look back before disappearing into the darkness. I held up my promise to Cadence and he and the other pups got to choose snacks, and sat down all around me and Matilda as I started to tell the old tales. After two stories, the younger pups had snuggled into blankets and were sleeping. The older ones were running around, enacting the battle scenes. “You have a good hand with pups,” Matilda said.
“I have had a lot of practice. As I don’t shift, I stayed behind with the pups in my old pack,” I told her. I was starting to get warm. Maybe I was sitting too close to the fire?
“How old were you when you left your own pack?” Matilda asked.
“Eighteen.” I looked around, making sure none of the pups were close by.
“I was rejected by my mate,” I said. She looked as shocked as Finlay had.
“And you doubt your strength? You will find your way, and I’m sure the moon will give you a more deserving mate,” she told me and patted my leg.
I gave her a smile. She was really sweet.
“Is the fire hot?” I asked, pulling my sweater over my head, leaving me in
a tank top.
“Do you feel hot?” she asked.
“Yeah. And a little funky. Maybe I ate too many snacks with the pups?”
“How long have you been feeling like this?” she asked. I had to pause and think.
“I have been feeling a little restless all day, like I should remember something, but I have forgotten what. But the heat has only come the last thirty minutes or so,” I told her. She studied me and nodded.
“It will be fine. Just relax and don’t fight against it,” she said.
“Fight against what?” I asked as Finlay stepped out of the tree line. He was only wearing shorts, and I was confused by why he was back in his human form this early. He walked up to me and kneeled down in front of me, and placed a hand on my forehead.
“You are burning up,” he said and looked at his aunt. She nodded. What was that all about? “The others are coming as well,” he told me.
“Why?” I asked. Then there was a cramp in my stomach which took my breath away.
“You are turning, Armeria. And a pack should surround you when you have your first turn. It helps,” he said. I just stared at him like he had
spoken Martian.
“Turning?” I asked.
“Your wolf is coming,” Matilda softly told me. More and more of the pack were walking out of the forest, all half dressed. Some of them gathered up the pups, others just gathered around us.
“Amie, do you remember what your parents told you about your first shift?” Finlay asked me, and my focus returned to him. No one had ever talked to me about my first shift. That was not how it was done in my old pack. When someone showed the first signs of shifting, they were taken by their parents or close relatives into the woods and then the next morning they were back. I shook my head.
“No one has told me anything,” I said as another cramp hit me. I didn’t miss the looks being exchanged between Finlay and his aunt.
